Affirmative Action
In an effort to reduce school segregation, many universities have adopted affirmative action policies and plans with the intent of acquiring more minority students. These universities and colleges recognize that, due to lower socioeconomic statuses, uneducated parents, and struggling secondary schools, minority students frequently lack the standardized test scores, grade point average, and extracurricular opportunities required for admission. Thus, these colleges adopt affirmative action plans to standardize the playing field between white and minority students.
Affirmative action plans, however, have become heated issues of debate over the past few decades. White students claim these plans create "reverse discrimination," i.e. minority students are being accepted over more qualified, white applicants. Two major court cases in the early 2000s addressed the constitutionality of affirmative action:
Affirmative action plans, however, have become heated issues of debate over the past few decades. White students claim these plans create "reverse discrimination," i.e. minority students are being accepted over more qualified, white applicants. Two major court cases in the early 2000s addressed the constitutionality of affirmative action:
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Even now, in 2012, Affirmative Action creates a challenging situation for most universities and colleges--should the institution allow minority students to have an advantage in the admissions process at the risk of reverse discrimination? Or should the institution base admissions solely on qualifications, threatening the diversity statistics of the student population. Since the mid 1990s, seven states--Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Washington-- have banned Affirmative Action, and many other states have toyed with creating stricter limitations on how Affirmative Action can be used. Advocates of Affirmative Action argue that if race is not considered and emphasis is put on socioeconomic status instead, many middle-class minority students will be not be admitted. Civil Rights groups recommend that each university evaluates whether its campus can sustain much diversity.
Studies differ over whether Affirmative Action actually increases levels of diversity at schools. Some studies suggest that have little impact on the number of minority students admitted; however, other studies suggest that schools could lose up to 10% of minority students without taking race into consideration.
FISHER v. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
The Supreme Court is currently deciding on a lawsuit filed in 2008. Abigail Fisher, a white student from Texas, was denied admission from the University of Texas in 2008. The University of Texas, like many other schools, has a race-conscious admission program that allowed 216 of the 1,713 African American students in the freshmen class of 2008 to be admitted. The University claims that Fisher would not have been admitted even without the Affirmative Action program. The Court should decide on this case by next summer (Espenshade).
Studies differ over whether Affirmative Action actually increases levels of diversity at schools. Some studies suggest that have little impact on the number of minority students admitted; however, other studies suggest that schools could lose up to 10% of minority students without taking race into consideration.
FISHER v. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
The Supreme Court is currently deciding on a lawsuit filed in 2008. Abigail Fisher, a white student from Texas, was denied admission from the University of Texas in 2008. The University of Texas, like many other schools, has a race-conscious admission program that allowed 216 of the 1,713 African American students in the freshmen class of 2008 to be admitted. The University claims that Fisher would not have been admitted even without the Affirmative Action program. The Court should decide on this case by next summer (Espenshade).
SOURCES
Espenshade, Thomas J. (October 4, 2012.) "Moving Beyond Affirmative Action." The New York Times. Retrieved on December 7, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/opinion/moving-beyond-affirmative-action.html?_r=0.
GRATZ v. BOLLINGER. (2012). The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_516.
GRUTTER v. BOLLINGER. (2012). The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_241.
Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher. (October 9, 2012.) "Supreme Court: If affirmative action is banned, what happens at the colleges?" The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2012/1009/Supreme-Court-If-affirmative-action-is-banned-what-happens-at-colleges.
Espenshade, Thomas J. (October 4, 2012.) "Moving Beyond Affirmative Action." The New York Times. Retrieved on December 7, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/05/opinion/moving-beyond-affirmative-action.html?_r=0.
GRATZ v. BOLLINGER. (2012). The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_516.
GRUTTER v. BOLLINGER. (2012). The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2002/2002_02_241.
Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher. (October 9, 2012.) "Supreme Court: If affirmative action is banned, what happens at the colleges?" The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved December 8, 2012 from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2012/1009/Supreme-Court-If-affirmative-action-is-banned-what-happens-at-colleges.